


Wrong Number

by MsWriterPerson



Series: Wrong Number [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College, M/M, Past Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Post-Break Up, no one dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23182819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsWriterPerson/pseuds/MsWriterPerson
Summary: (This is a rewrite of a previously deleted fic) Keith is a bored college student struggling to find his place in the world. That is, until he gets a wrong number texted from a mystery man named Shiro. Could this case of wrong number be a step in the right direction?
Relationships: Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Wrong Number [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666621
Comments: 23
Kudos: 65





	1. Out of the Blue

Keith mindlessly clicked through his never-ending Netflix list, hoping something interesting would pop out at him. Movies, shows, documentaries, specials, all quickly shifted through the screen, failing to make any real impression. Keith sighed, he had been doing this for what felt like hours. More than that, it felt like he had been doing this every single day he was home from work. He thought college life meant parties, random road trips, crazy stories no one would believe. But now that he was almost into his senior year, he had fallen into a pit of apathetic boredom. His life was an endless cycle of classes, work, and home. But that was his life, and Keith had grown too accustomed to it to change it. He tossed the remote onto the coffee table, giving up on the thought of selecting something to watch. What he needed was something new to break him out of the loop he had caught himself in, something exciting and unexpected. 

His phone buzzed on the table. Keith sighed again, wondering if it was Lance texting him for the thousandth time about joining him for drinks. He picked up the phone and glanced at the notification, but to Keith's surprise, the text was from an unrecognized number. Keith, curious, unlocked his phone to read it.

_"Hey, it's Shiro from the bar last night."_

A wrong number. Keith quickly typed out a reply.

_"I think you've got the wrong number, I wasn't at a bar last night."_

Problem solved, Keith relaxed back on his sofa, wondering how this 'Shiro' would react. A few moments later, his phone buzzed with the answer.

_"Oh my God I am so sorry. I just found this number in my pocket"_

Keith chuckled a bit. Normally he'd just leave it at that, but something pulled at Keith to keep this going. He started typing.

_"Must have been a fun night last night."_

Keith shuffled a bit as he waited for a response. There was a gentle thrill in this, messaging a complete stranger who showed up from nowhere. The phone buzzed as Keith immediately opened the new message.

_"Tbh I can't remember most of it, but I wonder how much fun I could have had if I woke up with a bad number in my pocket."_

Keith paused, thinking about how to respond. He smirked and typed his reply.

_"But hey, you get to talk to me instead"_

Keith felt his blood begin to race, wondering if he was coming on too strong with his borderline-flirty reply. A full minute passed, and Keith began to sink into the sofa, feeling defeated. His phone buzzed again. 

_"lol True, what's your name, btw"_

Keith felt his chest tighten up, he had advanced to the next level. 

_"My name's Keith"_

The phone buzzed a moment later.

_"Nice talking to you Keith, I was having a bad time but you cheered me up a bit."_

Keith sat up, surprised at the sudden honesty. He hastily replied.

_"Do you want to talk about it?"_

Keith stared at his phone, waiting anxiously for a reply. The phone buzzed after a long pause.

_"No, but thanks for offering."_

Keith's heart sank to the floor. He had gotten ahead of himself, of course this guy didn't want to unload on a random stranger. Keith sighed in defeat, as the phone buzzed yet again.

_"But if it's alright with you, can I message you again?"_

Keith's brain filled with euphoria. He couldn't type his reply fast enough.

_"Sure, absolutely."_

He wondered if he seemed too desperate with his quick answer. His phone buzzed, this time with an image attached to the message.

_"Cool, here's a pic of me so you know what I look like."_

Keith opened the image, his brain slamming to a halt. This guy was hot. Young, ripped, with dark hair and darker eyes, the picture looked professionally done, Shiro giving a cool expression to the camera, dressed in a tight white-button up and suit pants. To say he was Keith's type would be an understatement. Keith took a deep breath to calm himself down before answering.

_"Are you some kind of model? This looks like a professional photo."_

Keith open the picture again, Shiro's eyes captivating and drawing him in. He felt entranced by his expression, so much so that when the phone buzzed it startled him.

_"Close, I'm a travel photographer, that was just one of my personal shots."_

Keith suddenly felt like Shiro was way out of his league. What was a guy like that doing getting black out drunk at bars, picking up random stranger's numbers? Keith searched through his camera roll, trying to find a semi-decent picture of himself. All of his pictures seemed awful and basic compared to Shiro's, but finally he found one from a party he attended a few months back. He was just in a t-shirt and jeans, but that seemed to be the best he could get. He attached it and started typing.

_"I go to Garrison University, I'm in my third year, this is what I look like."_

Keith sent it, worried if Shiro would be turned off by his simplistic style. He fidgeted as he waited for the now-exciting buzz of his phone. And when it came, he opened it with lightning speed.

_"That's not too far from me. I'd ask if we'd met before, but I think I'd remember meeting a guy as good looking as you."_

Keith held back a yell, frantically jerking around the sofa to contain his excitement. His hands shook as he finally calmed down enough to type a reply.

_"Likewise."_

Keith took a deep breath, proud of his cool reply, his heart still racing from Shiro's previous message. His phone buzzed once more.

_"Hey it's been nice talking to you, but I've got to get to work. I'll message you later."_

Keith felt a sudden pang of loneliness, but answered anyway.

_"Sure, have a nice day at work."_

He sighed, falling back into the sofa. His phone buzzed one last time.

_"Thanks, you too."_

Keith felt a small grin grow on his face. He looked around the room, as it reminded him of a reality that seemed ancient to him now. He opened Shiro's picture, wondering if this was the something new he had been waiting for. In just the span of ten minutes, Shiro had already left a major impact. Keith sighed. He felt logic kick in again, telling him that one lone incident didn't mean his whole life had changed, and for all he knew they may never speak again. But as Keith stared at Shiro's picture, he realized he didn't care. For the first time in a long time, a new path had opened, and Keith was taking the first steps to a new and unknown future. 


	2. Lost and Found

_"Thanks, you too."_

Shiro dropped his phone on the bed beside him with a satisfied sigh. Even with his pounding headache, he found himself smiling at the rather pleasant exchange. He opened up Keith's photo again. Not his usual type, but there was something endearing about his smile. He couldn't remember for the life of him what had happened the night before, but somehow things had managed to work themselves out. All's well that ends well.

Shiro's phone rang, his friend Matt's face replacing Keith's on the screen. Shiro groaned, but answered.

"You still alive?" Matt joked. 

"No, I am dead, so I can't make it to the meeting today." Shiro whined. 

"Then I'll call a hearse for you and they can give you a ride over here." Matt insisted. "All of your prints arrived today, we need to go over the edits as soon as possible."

"I know, I know. I'll be there in an hour." Shiro yielded, his head feeling like it was splitting as he sat up. "...Make that an hour and a half."

"Had I known you were going to get black-out wasted, I wouldn't have taken you out drinking last night." Matt sighed.

"I just had a lot on my mind. I'm hanging up, I need to get ready." Shiro ended the call, tossing his phone back on the bed and made his way to the shower, taking his time to rinse off the sluggish desire to go back to sleep. Drying off, he made his way to the kitchen. He glanced around his apartment, barren and lifeless. He had never spent much time here, just brief stays between trips, but he never noticed just how empty it could be. But then again, before he wasn't living alone.

_"Adam, I'm going to Australia!" Shiro announced, Adam still standing in the entryway after coming in._

_"Australia? When?" He asked nervously._

_"Two weeks from now, I just got the go-ahead today." Shiro explained, heading back inside, mountains of maps and papers strewn across the dining room table. "It's a six-month tour, can you believe it?"_

_"No, I can't." Adam replied bluntly._

_Shiro turned back to Adam. "Is something wrong? I thought you'd be more excited about this."_

_"Excited about what, Takashi?" Adam demanded. "You just got back from a three month tour last week, and now you're heading off for another six months?"_

_"It's my job, Adam. You know I have to travel to work." Shiro groaned. "We've been over this."_

_"You don't need to be traveling all of the time!" Adam argued. "Is it so wrong that I want to spend time with my boyfriend?"_

_"We moved in together so that every minute I'm back I can spend it with you. Is that not enough?" Shiro defended._

_"No, it's not." Adam countered. "I thought that moving in together would mean you staying home more, but it more like I live alone and you just crash here once every few months and use the place like a storage unit."_

_"Adam, I can't just not travel. This is my dream job, I need you to be supportive on this." Shiro pleaded._

_"You need me to be supportive?" Adam snapped. "When I never get to see you, and you're never here when I need you to support me? When the holidays come around, you're off in Mexico somewhere. When I have a bad day at work, you're off in Asia. No matter when I need you, it doesn't matter, because you're never here."_

_"What do you want from me, Adam?" Shiro insisted. "I'm not going to quit my job."_

_"I'm done, Takashi. I'm done fighting you on this." Adam yielded. "I think it's time we break up."_

_"Wha- you don't mean that." Shiro stuttered, reaching out to him._

_Adam stepped back, avoiding his touch. "I'm serious. I've been thinking about this for a while. All we do is fight. I can't keep supporting you like this. And you can't support me." He picked his bag back up, putting his shoes back on. "I'm going to stay with a friend until you leave. I'll move out while you're gone."_

_"Adam, please, let's just talk about this." Shiro begged._

_"I'm sorry, Takashi. I can't do this anymore." Adam concluded, leaving the apartment._

Shiro ran his hand across the now-barren dining room table. He and Adam had fights before, but Adam was always willing to patch things up. Shiro spent the last six months holding onto the hope that once he got back, they'd reconcile, kiss and make up, just like they always had before. But all he found was a half-empty apartment, and Adam was no where to be seen. His head throbbed, the night before having been spent trying to drown out the haunting memories. But no amount of liquor was enough to wash them all away for good. There was no choice but to move on without him. Shiro quickly dressed himself, taking another long look at the cold, dark apartment. He could almost still hear Adam calling out after him to have a good day, to be safe, in the deafening silence that sent him off instead. 

The late morning sun shone brightly on the city park in front of his apartment building. Shiro walked swiftly through, hoping some of the scenery would help get his mind off things. The faint cheers of the children playing off in the distance, the morning joggers powering through their morning routine, the scent of freshly mowed grass in the air, the world continued to move on as if nothing had happened. Shiro sat on a bench, wishing he could somehow do the same. He sighed in defeat.

The jingling sound of a dog leash rang out, as Shiro looked up to see a cocker spaniel barrelling towards him. The dog greeted him by leaping on him, placing it's front paws in his lap, panting with a satisfied look on it's face.

"Atlas!" A woman's voice called out, running over to them. She gasped for air as she quickly picked up the dog's leash from the ground. "I am so sorry sir, she broke away from me. Are you okay?"

Shiro scratched behind the dog's ear, Atlas' tail wagging in approval. "I'm fine, no worries."

"Thank god," she sighed, pulling on Atlas' leash. "C'mon girl, let's go."

"Wait," Shiro stopped her. "Is it alright if I take a photo of your dog?"

The woman blinked at him for a moment. "I don't mind, but why?"

Shiro pulled out his camera from his bag. "I'm a professional photographer, I like to stay in practice as much as possible." He explained, shifting around Atlas to find the best lighting angle, snapping the shutter a few times from different spots. The woman looked on with a curious sense of awe as Shiro quickly finished, loading his camera back up. "I can send you a final copy if you'd like, no charge."

The woman quickly pulled a business card out of her purse. "Here, I own a local cafe nearby, just stop on in anytime. I'll trade you a free drink for the picture." She smiled.

Shiro glanced at the business card, the name "Altea" in bright silver letters. "It's a deal." Shiro agreed, giving Atlas one last petting before making his way through the park towards the galleria. So far, so good.

He approached his destination, the familiar sight of the "Holt Galleria" sign giving him a sense of comfort. Shiro poked his head in, Matt passing through the main hall. "About time you showed up." Matt joked, spotting him.

"Sorry, still shaking off the hangover." Shiro apologized, joining Matt inside.

"After last night I'm surprised you even woke up this morning." Matt teased, leading Shiro to his office. "Do you even remember anything about what you did?"

"No, but I found a phone number in my pocket this morning." Shiro smirked, dropping down into one of the office chairs. "The phone number of a cute guy, no less."

"That guy actually gave you his number last night?" Matt asked, shocked, taking a seat behind his desk. "I thought for sure he'd give you a fake one."

"Oh, he did give me a bad number." Shiro bragged. "But the number he gave me belonged to another cute guy."

"Only you would be able to get a bad number and still find a way to get laid." Matt groaned in defeat.

"Now I know you didn't call me in here to just talk about that." Shiro pointed out.

"You're right, I didn't." Matt agreed, pulling out a folder from his desk. "So, I got your prints this morning."

"And?" Shiro insisted.

"And... well... how do I say this... It's not your best work." Matt yielded, opening the folder, flipping through the pictures.

"Are you saying we can't do the gallery with them?" Shiro asked, concerned.

"No, I think we can after they go through editing, but... they all look so basic. Like stock photos. They don't have your usual flare." Matt explained.

Shiro sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I'll see what I can do with the edits to spice them up a bit."

"We'll go over them again once you've got the first round of editing done, but..." Matt looked up at Shiro. "Are you okay? I know things have been hard since, you know... but if you need to take a break, you can take a break."

"I'm just in a rut." Shiro explained. "I just need to get back into the swing of things, I'll be fine in no time."

Matt looked unconvinced, but sighed. "If you say so, I just wanted you to know that was on the table." An evil smirk spread across his face. "And you know what they say, the best way to get over a breakup is to find someone else. Maybe you cute phone boy might be just what you need."

"I don't know about that." Shiro smiled. "But at least he's nice to talk to." Shiro got up, picking up his bag. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go ahead and get started on the edits. I'll email you them when they're done."

"Aye-aye, captain." Matt saluted from his seat, Shiro giving him a smile as he stepped out of the office, and back out onto the street. Shiro tightened his grip on his bag. He managed to play it cool in front of Matt, but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to "get back into the swing" like this. Regardless, he had to try, as he marched down the street back to his apartment.

Shiro clicked through the photo editor, his mind overwhelmed with all of the minute changes he would have to make to the photo. Matt was right, they did all look basic, and getting them to look passable was no small task. He saved his work, glancing around through the photos on his SD card. The images of the dog from this morning popped up. Shiro opened it on impulse, the sight of the happy Atlas giving him a small sense of satisfaction. At least this image didn't need that many changes to it. He quickly clicked around, adjusting the filters, the image coming to life in front of him. Maybe he still had some glimmer of hope. His eyes fell to his phone, Matt's words ringing in his head.

_"The best way to get over a breakup is to find someone else."_

No, he didn't want to use Keith like that. And rebound relationships were never Shiro's style. But Shiro opened up Keith's photo on his phone, finding comfort in his smiling face. He may not be ready for a romantic relationship, but they could still be friends, right? Shiro transferred the final copy of Atlas' picture to his phone, opening up a new text message. 

_"Saw a cute dog today."_

Shiro attached the picture and sent the message off to Keith, setting his phone back down on the desk. It hadn't even been a full day since his last message, and Shiro began to worry that he was being too clingy. The phone buzzed.

_"A very good doggo."_

Shiro smiled at the simple reply. Yeah, there was no need to worry about rushing into a romantic relationship. Starting from friendship was fine for now. Shiro reassured himself that, staring at Keith's picture, unsure of what name to put onto the new emotion growing within him.  



	3. One Step Forward

Keith leaned against the counter, swiping through the pictures on his phone. In the past few weeks he had been talking to Shiro, they had talked several times, Shiro sending him photos from his travels, keeping the conversations light, but interesting. Shiro was a private but sweet guy, so even though they had been talking for weeks, Keith didn't know more than Shiro's name and his job. Keith landed on a photo of Shiro backpacking in the middle of some desert. Shiro was off leading some big exciting life that Keith could only dream about. Keith sighed in mild self-loathing, wondering if he'd also find his calling at some point. 

"Mr. Kogane, I don't believe I pay you to lounge around on your phone." Allura scolded from behind him. "Exactly what is so interesting, anyway?"

"Probably his new boyfriend!" Hunk chimed in from the kitchen.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Keith yelled back, tossing a pen at Hunk. 

"Boyfriend or no boyfriend, please focus on your job." Allura continued. 

"But it's not like we have any customers right now." Keith pointed out. He was right, the cafe was next to deserted. They were rarely busy in the first place, but on late afternoon Tuesdays, they were basically dead. It was one of the things Keith liked about working there, it was rarely overwhelming. 

"You never know when a customer could walk in though." Allura protested. The door jingled behind her, perking her up instantly. "See?" she bragged as she turned to greet the new arrival. "Welcome to Alte- oh, it's just you, Lance." 

"Yes, ma'am, it's me, the man of your dreams, back to see you again." Lance announced, striding into the cafe like he owned the place. 

"I wouldn't go as far as saying 'man of my dreams'" Allura countered bluntly.

"The usual, Lance?" Keith asked.

"Yes, sir!" Lance chimed, dropping down to sit at his usual table.

"So Princess," Lance began.

"I told you to stop calling me Princess." Allura groaned.

"What can I say, you look like royalty to me. Anyway, so I've got these tickets for a concert next week, how about you and I go together?" Lance offered.

"Lance, I told you, I'm still getting over my last relationship, I'm not ready to go out with anyone else right now." Allura explained. 

"Alright. Maybe next time then." Lance yielded, Allura returning to the back of the restaurant as Keith brought out Lance's usual, two blueberry muffins and an ice water. 

"You sure are a glutton for punishment." Keith joked. "How many times has she shot you down now?"

"I stopped counting. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, after all." Lance defended. "Besides, she's just trying to get over her ex, and as soon as she does I'll be right there to start a new romance." 

"Awfully optimistic, aren't you?" Keith teased.

"It's one of my many good points." Lance bragged, taking a bite of his muffin. "So, how about you? I still have that extra concert ticket if you want to tag along."

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass." Keith declined. "I've got so much schoolwork to do."

"Man, what is with you? You never want to hang out anymore." Lance scoffed. "All you do is go to school, go to work, then go home. You're in your Roaring 20's! Live a little!" 

"I'm just... busy right now." Keith said reluctantly. 

"Not too busy to text his new _boyfriend_!" Hunk called again.

"Shut up, Hunk!" Keith yelled.

"What? You started seeing someone? When did this happen?" Lance asked excitedly, starting on his second muffin. "Come on, spill the deets."

"I'm not seeing anyone, I've just been texting this guy." Keith explained.

"You think he's hot though!" Hunk interjected.

"I told you that in confidence!" Keith spat back.

"Texting a mysterious hottie? I want to see!" Lance demanded. 

Keith sighed, pulling out his phone and opening one of Shiro's photos. "It's this guy. And we're not dating, all we do is talk once in a while."

Lance stared at the phone, a shocked expression on his face. "Well, would you look at that..." He mumbled.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Keith barked.

"I, um, I'm just surprised you managed to meet someone, that's all." Lance explained, quickly downing his glass of water.

"Well, yeah, but he's kind of out of my league. He does travel photography. Goes all over the world for it." Keith elaborated.

"All the more reason to strike while the iron's hot. And the iron is _very hot_." Lance shot Keith a teasing smile. 

"Shut up. Don't you have to get back to work soon?" Keith deflected.

"I probably should." Lance put the money for his food on the table. "But I still think you should take a few more chances in life, buddy. They don't come often."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Keith groaned, following Lance to the door. 

"I'll see you guys later, tell Allura I said bye." Lance waved farewell to Hunk in the kitchen before heading back across the street to his family's grocery. Keith sighed to himself.

"He has a point, you know." Hunk suggested.

"A point about what?" Keith asked.

"About you not taking chances." Hunk leaned against the kitchen window, as Keith walked up. "You really should try and get out more."

"I don't even know where I'd want to go." Keith argued. 

"Sometimes you just have to find out when you get there." Hunk retorted. Keith sighed. Hunk was right, even after talking with Shiro, his life remained dull and empty, even more so compared to Shiro's active lifestyle. Keith could feel himself wanting to change. But where would he even start?

Allura stepped back out. "Keith, break time." She ordered.

Keith wandered out to the alleyway beside the cafe, his favorite spot to hide and relax when he was off the clock. He unlocked his phone, Shiro's picture still on his screen. Maybe he'd know what to do in times like these.

_"Hey Shiro, can I ask you a personal question?"_

He sent the text message, praying Shiro wouldn't take it the wrong way. After playing on his phone for a few minutes, Shiro replied. 

_"I don't mind, what's up?"_

Keith took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to phrase it.

_"How did you find out you wanted to be a travel photographer?"_

Keith sat for a few more minutes, wondering how Shiro would reply. Finally his phone buzzed with the answer.

_"Well, I always loved photography, my granddad got me a toy camera as a kid and I never put it down. As I got older and took it more seriously, the more I wanted to take photos all over the world. But I decided to make it a career in college when I was in the photography club and someone offered me a gig helping them with their photography tour."_

Keith sighed. It was a perfectly logical answer, but not one that was helpful. As far as Keith could remember, he didn't have any childhood passion he had brought with him to adulthood. He was still stuck on square one. His phone buzzed again.

_"Why, is it something you were interesting in doing?"_

Keith hesitated. He hadn't really talked to Shiro much about how stuck he felt, but he had backed himself into a corner now.

_"I don't know. Maybe? I just feel like there's something I should want to do with my life, and I don't know what it is, or how to find it."_

Well, that felt embarrassing. Keith curled up into a ball as Shiro replied quickly.

_"That's normal for a lot of people. You don't always have to know what you want to do right away. You can try a bunch of different things to see how they work for you, and go from there."_

Keith thought about it for a second.

_"But where would I start?"_

His phone buzzed again.

_"The clubs at the school would be a good place to try. They have a lot of different hobbies and subject areas, plus it's easy to test it out and quit if you don't like it. And if you do like it, then the other club members could help you out. I got a lot of great photography experience from the club I was in. It's worth a shot."_

Keith smiled at the thought of Shiro in a photography club, showing him how to take a picture. Keith had never really paid much attention to the clubs at his college. He always assumed you needed some level of experience to join any of them. But it did seem like a simple way to get started...

Allura opened the back door, peeking her head out into the alley. "Keith, break time's over." 

"I'm on my way." Keith answered, typing one last text to Shiro.

_"I've got to get back to work, but thanks for the advice."_

Keith quickly brushed off the dust from his uniform, heading back inside. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket as Shiro answered.

_"No problem, and good luck!"_

Keith smiled, feeling like he at least had some sense of direction. Or, at least a starting place to look for one. He finished his shift daydreaming about all the possibilities, wondering if he'd be able to find his calling as easily as that. And what would that calling even be? The list was endless. The weight in his chest was turning into a rolling stone on an unknown path, and who knows where it might lead? Keith grinned to himself as he swept up the floor.

"Hey, lover boy, it's time to go." Hunk broke through his fantasy with a light tap on Keith head.

"Oh, right." Keith quickly took off his apron, placing it behind the counter as he grabbed his bag. 

"Allura, we're heading out!" Hunk called back to Allura, who was busy counting the till.

"Alright, you boys have a nice night!" She replied, not looking up, but giving them a polite wave.

"You too." Keith answered, following Hunk out of the cafe, locking the door behind them.

"Aw man, I am really not looking forward to Sanda's class tomorrow. She said she's supposed to be giving us our final projects." Hunk complained, Keith still not listening. "Hey, Earth to Keith."

"Wha- sorry. I was thinking about something." Keith stammered.

"Thinking about _Shiro_?" Hunk gave Keith a playful shove.

"No! Well, yes. Kind of." Keith fought for words. "I asked him for advice on the whole 'putting myself out there' issue."

"And what did he say?" Hunk asked. 

"He said I should try some of the clubs at school. I was thinking about taking a look at them tomorrow." Keith explained. 

"Do you mind if I come with you? I've been meaning to check out the Cooking Club myself." Hunk asked.

"Sure, the more the merrier." Keith agreed.

"I'll ask Pidge too, she knows a lot of the more obscure clubs, I'm sure she'll be able to help." Hunk pulled out his phone, quickly sending off a text.

"Thanks. I'll treat you guys to dinner afterwards." Keith smiled.

"Sweet, dinner and a show." Hunk teased, getting a gentle punch from Keith in retaliation.

"Shut up, I'm trying to be nice." Keith laughed, looking up at the night sky. The stars glimmered down at him, filling his chest with hope that he was finally making a real first step into the life he'd always dreamed of.


	4. Planning Ahead

Shiro tapped on the arm of his chair, waiting for Matt to come back with the edited prints he had sent over. Shiro had spent the last few weeks agonizing over it, struggling to make his photos at least somewhat more presentable. His eyes still hurt from staring at the computer screen for hours on end. Normally by now he'd be excitedly planning his next tour, but now he was more concerned with just getting through this one exhibition. Shiro groaned in frustration, covering his face with his hands.

"Mr. Shirogane, I brought you some water." A young, timid voice asked. Shiro peeked through his fingers to see a young man with sandy brown hair offering him a bottle of water. Shiro quickly sat up and adjusted himself.

"Oh, thanks." Shiro took the bottle, surveying the young man. "I don't think we've been introduced. You can just call me Shiro."

"I'm James, I'm the intern Mr. Holt hired a few months ago. I'm a huge fan of your work." He explained quickly.

"Nice to meet you James. Don't let Matt work you too hard." He laughed, James' face flushing.

"Um, yes sir, I mean no sir, I won't." He stammered.

"Am I late to the party?" Matt asked from behind James, tapping him on the head with the prints. "James, could you please call the catering company about the exhibition, and send them the billing information?"

James smiled warmly at Matt. "Yeah, I'm on it!" He darted off down the hallway, Matt taking a seat at his desk.

Shiro waited a moment for James to be out of earshot. "So... a new intern, huh?"

Matt grinned mischievously. "Yeah, a new intern."

"Aren't there workplace conduct rules against that kind of thing?" Shiro teased.

"I don't understand what you're trying to imply, good sir." Matt chuckled, feigning ignorance.

"He's exactly your type." Shiro pointed out. "How long do you think we've been friends?"

"I'm not the type to kiss and tell." Matt joked.

"But you are the kind to fuck and tell." Shiro retorted.

"If you want steamy office stories, find them on the internet. My lips are sealed." Matt insisted. "Now, back to brass taxes." He set the prints down on the desk. "There's just a few more edits we need you to make, but I've already got them pointed out, and we should be able to do the exhibition after that."

"I'm so sick of edits." Shiro groaned.

"Yeah you usually don't have to do this many. To be honest I prefer the ones that need almost no editing myself." Matt agreed. "But, this is what we have to work with, so we'll just do what we can. You can try again after the exhibition."

"I guess so." Shiro sighed. He was really hoping to avoid a second round of edits, but Matt was right, his photo quality wasn't good to begin with, so there was no other choice.

"Hey, Matt." James poked his head from around the corner. "The catering company needs to speak with you about the changes you submitted to the menu."

"I'm on my way." Matt instructed. "Well, I'll leave the rest to you." He gave Shiro a squeeze on his shoulder before following James down the hall. 

Shiro slid down his chair, feeling defeated. Maybe he really had lost his touch. For so long he'd always been able to capture what he wanted, but now he didn't even know where to look. He pulled his phone out, opening up his conversation with Keith from the night before. He had played it cool and gave him advice, but was he even the best person to ask for direction in life? He opened up Keith's picture, his sly smile lighting up the screen. Shiro wondered what Keith would think if he knew just how lost he felt right now.

"So this is the college boy Matt was telling me about." Shiro jolted up as Sam smiled down at him, peeking at Shiro's phone.

"Oh, uh, Mr. Holt!" Shiro stuttered, standing up to shake his hand. "I didn't know you were in the office today."

"I heard you were meeting with Matt and decided to drop in. Please, sit down." He offered, taking Matt's chair for himself as Shiro slowly sat back down. "So how have you been?"

"Oh, um.... Good, sir." Shiro stammered.

Sam stared at him for a minute. "Well that's odd, Matt was telling me you were still struggling with the exhibition, and how you seemed tired."

"Well... I... uh." Shiro hesitated.

"You don't need to hide it from me. Everyone hits low points in their life." Sam reassured. "I know Matt's talked to you about going on a hiatus after the exhibition, and I want you to know I'll fully support your decision to do so, if that's what you want to do."

"Thank you, sir." Shiro nodded politely. "That means a lot. I wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for you."

"Nonsense. You've got a lot more skill than you know." Sam countered.

"I'm not so sure anymore." Shiro sighed. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do after this."

"Well, I think I can help with that." Sam offered. "I've got a client that's looking to sponsor an Asian-themed exhibition, and they're interested in you. They like your work and want to pay you to take on the project."

"Asia? For how long?" Shiro asked.

"Two years." Sam answered. Shiro paused. Two whole years? He'd never been gone that long, mostly because of wanting to come home to Adam... but that wasn't an issue anymore. But what about Keith? Shiro stopped himself. Why did Keith come to mind? It's not like they were dating. They were just texting buddies at this point. But still, two years away... felt like cutting off everything here. It was a huge step.

"Can I have some time to think about it?" Shiro asked.

"Of course. The client said they'd wait til your exhibition for an answer. But, Shiro," Sam paused. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. If you'd rather take a break and focus on getting back on your feet here, no one's going to hold it against you."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Shiro gave Sam a small, polite smile. Sam nodded, leaving Shiro to process the idea. He knew chances like these were rare, and he'd never even dreamed of being offered such a large and expansive project. He stared at the photos on the desk, each marked with various edits and changes he'd need to work on. Was he even ready for a project like this? And what about Keith? What would he say? Would he be supportive and excited, or upset like Adam? Luckily he wouldn't need an answer immediately, but he could see his future split into a crossroad, and for the first time in his life, he had no idea which way to go.


	5. Two Steps Back

"The essence of journalism is to capture the truth of the world around you." Professor Sanda explained, surveying her class with a stern and steady gaze. "You each have your own lives, and you'll be amazed by the amount of stories that go on right under your nose. Which brings us to your final project." The class squirmed in nervous anticipation. She pulled a stack of papers from her desk, passing them out to each student. "You will create a blog and log at least fifteen posts, with a minimum total word count of twenty thousand words. It'll be due the Friday before finals week. The topic is up to you. You will be graded on clarity of information and delivery." She scanned the class, Keith feeling her lock eyes with him. "I look forward to what you all write about. Class dismissed." She waved her hand, signalling freedom to them.

The rest of the class hurried to gather their belongings and make their way out of the classroom, while Keith took his time, slowly loading up his notebook into his bag as he read over the paper Sanda had passed out. It detailed the requirements for the blog assignment, offering a few post suggestions. Yet another thing for Keith to be completely lost on. He glanced over at Hunk on the other side of the room, already ready to go. Hunk waved to him. "Let's get this show on the road!" He cheered, Keith smiling as he joined him. Hunk threw his arm around him, leading him out of the classroom.

"Are you guys finally done?" Pidge demanded, leaning against the wall right outside the door.

"Sorry, Sanda took her time today." Keith apologized.

"Whatever, you can make it up to me when we go out to eat and I order the biggest, most expensive thing on the menu." Pidge teased.

"Be gentle with me, please." Keith chuckled. "Now, where should we start?"

"Well, there's the Gaming Club, the Anime Club, the Computing Club..." Pidge began listing.

"The Cooking Club, the Art Club, the Music Club..." Hunk took over.

"And the Writing Club, the Adventure Club, the Photography Club...." Pidge continued.

Keith remembered Shiro mentioning he was in the Photography Club. It seemed like a good a place as any to start. "Let's start with the Photography club." Keith announced. Pidge's face turned pale.

"A-are you sure? I heard the Computing Club was really cool...." She offered.

"I'm sure we can check that out later, I'm just curious about the Photography Club." Keith explained.

"Is this because a certain _someone_ does photography?" Hunk teased, nudging Keith.

"Shut up, Hunk. I'm genuinely curious about it." Keith retorted playfully.

"I guess we can start there... If you really want to..." Pidge yielded, still hesitant.

"Why don't you want to go?" Hunk asked. Pidge sighed, turning to lead them down the hallway.

"You'll see when we get there."

"Ms. Holt! We're so glad you stopped by today!" The girl who greeted them at the Photography Club door grasped both of Pidge's hands in hers, her eyes sparkling down at Pidge.

"Oh yeah, doesn't Pidge's family own the galleria that does all those photography exhibitions?" Hunk recalled, Pidge still recoiling from the girl.

"Ms. Holt is here? I want to say hello!" The rest of the club members rushed to the door, filling it with eager, smiling faces. Keith and Hunk looked on in amazed horror. So this is why Pidge wanted to avoid the Photography Club.

"Oh, uh, hello everyone." Pidge stammered, clearly uncomfortable.

"Get back, everyone! You're crowding too much!" The girl scolded, forcing the mob back. "So sorry about that, Ms. Holt, they're all just so happy to see you." She explained with a smile.

"N-no problem. Can you let go of my hands, please?" Pidge asked sheepishly.

The girl quickly released her grip on Pidge's hands. "Of course! Now, what brings you to our humble club room today?" She lead them inside, Keith glancing around at the scattered lighting equipment and tripods, the walls covered in photos and prints. So this is what the life of photography looked like.

"Oh, my friend here was interested in possibly joining." Pidge explained, pointing at Keith. The girl looked Keith up and down.

"Hm, is that so..." She said, unimpressed. "Um... James! Why don't you show him around?"

They turned to a thin brunette boy in the corner, keeping himself busy cleaning his equipment. He looked up at the sound of his name. "Me? Why me?" He argued. 

"Well, because you have the most experience out of all of us," She explained, "But more importantly, because I told you to."

James groaned in frustration. "Well, come here then." He growled, gesturing Keith to come over. Not exactly how Keith had wanted to start this experience, but he obeyed. James continued to clean his lenses, refusing to look up at Keith.

Keith decided to try and take the high path. "James, right? It's nice to meet-"

"Do you know anything about cameras?" James interrupted sharply.

"Oh, uh, no, not really..." Keith confessed, slightly thrown off by the suddenness of the question.

"What about lighting and framing? Editing software? Not to mention posing?" James continued.

"Well, no, but..." Keith tried to defend himself.

"Have you ever seriously taken a photo in your life?" James demanded, shooting Keith a nasty glance.

"Well everyone's got to start somewhere." Keith countered, getting annoyed.

"Look, I know photography seems easy to do. Just point and snap, right?" James set his camera down. "Wrong. It's an art form that takes years of dedication and practice. Not to mention the high cost of equipment. It's not something you just walk into because you're bored." Keith paused. His doubt poured back into his head. "You see this wall?" James continued, turning to the wall beside them, covered in photos. "These are all the award winning shots taken by members of the club. Each one took intense levels of commitment to get to that skill level. Do you really think you're ready for that?"

Keith gazed over the photos, each one captivating and eye-catching. Photos of warm family moments, happy pets, vivid landscapes. His sight landed upon the photo of a smiling young man, illuminated by a midday sun, under the shade of an old tree. Keith could feel the affection between the man and the photographer in the warmth of the smile across the man's face. His eyes settled on the caption under the photo as he felt his heart stop.

_"My Adam -Takashi Shirogane."_

"Oh, are you interested in that one? Well, it is from one of our most popular alumni." The girl from before peeked over Keith's shoulder as he struggled to comprehend what was happening. "He used his boyfriend in a lot of his early shoots, they're such a cute couple. They were even talking about getting married for a while." She explained.

Keith's chest hardened. "You're right. I don't think this is for me." He announced coldly, marching out of the room, Hunk and Pidge in tow.

"What the heck was that about?" Pidge demanded, fighting to keep up with Keith's quick pace. "I know James was being an ass, but he's always like that..."

"Yeah, what happened?" Hunk asked, grabbing Keith and forcing him to stop. He could feel Keith shaking.

"I just don't want to do this anymore." Keith declared. "Let's just go."

Hunk and Pidge looked at each other, then back at Keith. "If you're sure, we can stop." Hunk assured. "But... is everything okay?"

Keith paused. He was most definitely not okay. "I don't want to talk about it. Can we just go, please?" He begged.

"Alright, we'll stop here for today." Hunk concluded. "Let's go back to my place and order some pizza. We'll invite Lance, too."

"Oh! I can bring my Switch, I've been itching to destroy Lance in Smash again!" Pidge chimed in.

"That sound good to you, Keith?" Hunk offered gently. Keith thought it through. Part of him wanted nothing more than to be alone. But being alone with these damaged thoughts seemed too daunting of a task right now. He nodded.

Keith glanced around the darkened living room, Pidge fast asleep on the sofa, her prize as victor in the in-house Smash tournament. Lance was passed out on the carpet, curled up under a blanket. Hunk slept soundly in his recliner, as Keith remained the last one awake of the group. Not like he could sleep with everything on his mind. He still couldn't figure it out. If Shiro had a boyfriend, why was he flirting with Keith? Was he even flirting? Maybe all this time he was just being nice. Keith felt a wave of self-loathing as he considered having misread all their conversations up to now.

He needed to break it off. If things kept going like this with Shiro, he'd fall too deep, and just end up getting hurt even more. Keith pulled out his phone, taking a deep breath as he typed out a message.

_"Hey Shiro, can we talk?"_

A few minutes passed. A small part of Keith prayed Shiro was already asleep, that he wouldn't answer. But his phone buzzed in defiance. 

_"Sure, what's up?"_

Keith felt his chest tremble, as he struggled to think of how to say it. He wanted to be clear, without any doubts. He knew what he had to do.

_"Can I call you?"_

He needed to hear himself say it. That it was over. That he couldn't talk to Shiro anymore. Keith walked into the hallway as his phone buzzed.

_"Sure, I don't mind."_

Keith opened up Shiro's contact. His finger lingered over the call button. It was now or never. He pressed it. The phone rang out once, and Keith found himself holding his breath, as he heard the call pick up.

_"Hello? Keith?"_

Keith sunk to the ground. Shiro's voice was gentle and smooth, far better than anything Keith had imagined. "Yeah, it's me, Shiro." He replied quietly, trying to keep his composure. 

_"This is so weird, isn't it? We've been talking for weeks yet this is the first time I'm hearing your voice."_ Shiro laughed. God, even his laugh was charming.

"Y-yeah, it's really weird." Keith agreed.

 _"So what's the special occasion?"_ Shiro asked merrily. _"Oh yeah, didn't you go check out clubs today? How did it go?"_

"Oh, it... went okay." Keith lied. He was losing courage fast. "I don't think I found what I want to do yet."

 _"Well, it's just your first day."_ Shiro reassured. _"These things take time."_

"Yeah... thanks for the advice." Keith stammered. He needed to hurry and tell Shiro that it was over.

 _"Hey, is everything okay?"_ Shiro asked, concerned. Keith's chest tightened. This was his chance. He just needed to say a few simple words, and it would all end. He braced himself.

"I... I just wanted to thank you. For everything you've done for me up to now." Keith answered. He couldn't do it. He couldn't say it.

 _"Oh... thanks._ " Shiro replied. _"You've got a good head on your shoulders, I think you'll be able to figure things out when the time comes. And I'm glad I was able to help."_

"Thanks.... I should really get to bed." Keith deflected.

 _"Same, but I'm glad you called."_ Shiro's voice was soft as he spoke. _"Goodnight, Keith."_

"Goodnight, Shiro." Keith replied, hanging up the phone. He sat for a second in silence. All his emotions ran over at once, as tears streamed down his face. He saw Hunk peek out from the living room, quietly sitting beside Keith, wrapping a friendly arm around him as Keith completely broke down. It was already too late. He was in love with Shiro. And Shiro was in love with someone else.


	6. On The Mend

_"Goodnight, Shiro."_

Shiro hung up the call with a satisfied sigh. Keith's voice had such a silvery tone to it, soothing and clear. Yet, something seemed off about him, a hint that something was on his mind, something he couldn't tell Shiro. He was curious to ask him what was wrong, but he didn't want to force Keith to tell him if he wasn't ready. And besides, they still had all the time in the world. They could always talk about it next time.

A few days passed, no word from Keith. They had gone a day or two without texting before, but after the third day, he was beginning to get worried. Shiro decided to make the first move, sending out a simple text.

_"Hey Keith, how is the club search going?"_

Shiro tried to relax, waiting for Keith's response. One day passed, then a few days, finally a week. Still no answer. Shiro tried to think of reasons why Keith hadn't replied. He might just be busy with school, or maybe he wasn't feeling well. Perhaps he found a dream, and in turn, left Shiro behind. The thought left a deep sense of loss, and Shiro decided to make one more attempt to reach out.

_"Keith, is everything alright?"_

Shiro sent the message off, praying for some kind of answer. Yet, none came. Days passed, then weeks, then a month, in complete radio silence. He tried to busy himself with prep for his exhibition, but he always found his eyes wandering back to his phone, quietly hoping for the familiar buzz of Keith's texts. Until finally, his phone alerted him to a new message. Shiro rushed to open it, bracing himself for whatever Keith had to say. But it was not Keith who sent the message.

_"Takashi, it's Adam."_

Shiro at the message he used to long for with annoyance. After disappearing for months, suddenly he wanted to talk? Shiro considered just not answering, but his phone buzzed again.

_"I know things didn't end well between us, but I wanted to meet up and clear the air between us."_

Shiro sighed. He didn't have time for this right now. He had just come around to never seeing Adam again. And now, with Keith ghosting him, Adam was walking back in. His life was shifting into reverse. His phone buzzed for a third time.

_"Listen, you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, but if you do, meet me at the cafe, Altea, this Thursday at 4pm. I'll be waiting."_

Shiro stared at the message, weighing his options. The emotional wound Adam had inflicted on him still hurt him, but maybe this would give him enough closure to properly say goodbye. And at the very least it would give him something to focus on other than Keith's mysterious disappearance. He dialed Matt's number.

"Hey, Matt? It's about our meeting on Thursday, can we push it to Friday? Something's come up..."

Keith sighed, finishing his mopping of the cafe floor, pushing the mop bucket back into the kitchen. The cafe was quiet again, another slow day. Hunk was making himself busy by adding the final touches on a plate of cinnamon rolls. Keith stopped to watch him carefully sprinkle powdered sugar on top, standing up and dusting off his hands before pulling out his phone to snap a few pictures.

"Hey, could you help me with something real quick?" Hunk asked, handing Keith his phone. "Take a couple pics of me, for the blog." Keith obliged, as Hunk posed with his creation.

"You're taking this pretty seriously. I thought you hated this project." Keith pointed out, Hunk in the middle of a mid-bite pose, Keith taking a few shots.

"Well, I didn't like it at first, but once I started making it about cooking, I found myself really invested into it. I already have 200 followers." Hunk explained, setting it back down. "I was thinking I might keep working on it after the project's over."

Keith handed Hunk back his phone. "Glad one of us knows what they're doing."

"What are you doing for your blog?" Hunk asked.

"I'm just writing about the places around here." Keith replied. "I don't know what else to talk about."

"Well, I'm sure it'll be fine." Hunk offered. "And... how's things going with... you know?"

Keith walked back to the door. "I'm working on it." He replied sadly. Working on it? He was just trying to hide things away. He hadn't spoken to Shiro in close to two months. He thought the space would help him forget, but the void in his chest never seemed to shrink. Keith heard the door bell jingle, peeking out to greet the customer. He recognized him instantly, diving back into the kitchen and ducking behind the counter.

"What's wrong, Keith?" Hunk asked, confused.

"It's Shiro!" Keith whispered. "He just walked into the cafe."

"Oh shit." Hunk mumbled, looking out through the kitchen window, Shiro glancing around the cafe. "Did you tell him you worked here?"

"No," Keith shook his head, keeping his voice low. "You don't think he saw me, do you?"

"I don't think so," Hunk whispered back. Allura walked into the kitchen, spotting Keith sitting on the floor.

"Do I even want to know what's going on?" She asked, sighing.

"Allura, can you please handle that customer?" Keith asked. "Just... serve him like you normally would and let me know when he leaves?"

Allura paused. "...Fine. But I do expect an explanation once he does." She yielded.

"Thank you!" Keith clasped his hands together to praise her as she rolled her eyes and walked back out to the cafe.

"How can I help you, sir?" She greeted cheerfully. "Oh... you're the photographer from before!"

Shiro blinked at her a few times. "Oh, right! The woman with the cocker spaniel. How's Atlas doing?"

"She's doing fine, still as active as ever. Now, if I recall correctly, I promised you a free drink. What would you like?" Allura offered sweetly.

"An americano, please." Shiro ordered politely.

"Absolutely!" Allura nodded. "If you would like to have a seat, I'll have it brought right out." Shiro walked over, taking a seat at a nearby booth, checking his phone for the time. He was still a bit early, as he took a deep breath, trying to get his thoughts in order. The door bell jingled again, as Shiro stiffened up.

Adam glanced around the cafe, quickly spotting Shiro, a smiling gently at him. Allura glided through the cafe, setting Shiro's drink on his table before hurrying back to the counter. "What can I get for you today?" She asked.

"One latte, please." Adam ordered.

Keith peeked over the kitchen window, recognizing Adam as the man from the picture. He sunk back down to the floor with a frustrated groan. As if things couldn't get any worse, not only was Shiro here, he was here on a date. Adam smiled at Hunk from behind the counter before turning to meet Shiro. "Hey, Keith? I got a quick question for you." Hunk mentioned.

"What is it?" Keith asked.

"Is the guy with Shiro now, the same one you saw in the picture?" Hunk elaborated, his voice suspicious.

"Yeah... why?" Keith asked, confused.

"Keith," Hunk sighed, leaning over the counter. "You're an idiot."

"What? What are you talking about?" Keith whispered, flustered.

"Keith, the guy Shiro's meeting is my boyfriend. He's meeting with his ex today to get some closure." Hunk explained. Keith's brain stopped, leaving him totally speechless. Had he really been wrong all this time?

Allura brought over Adam's order, the two men still sitting quietly, glancing back at one another. "...You look well." Adam complimented, breaking the silence.

"Adam, can we please just get to the point? I know you didn't ask me here to catch up." Shiro growled. He thought he'd be able to keep his cool, but he could already feel himself getting frustrated.

Adam paused. "You're right. But I'd still like to have a nice conversation with you. Regardless of how things ended, we have known each other for over ten years."

"You were the one who broke up with me, Adam. I think I'm allowed to be upset about it." Shiro countered.

"I know. Which is why I wanted to talk to you today. Things may not have worked out between us, but I don't think we were able to sort it out properly." Adam explained, folding his hands neatly on the table.

"By the book til the very end." Shiro complained. "You always did have a habit of sorting through your own feelings and coming to me afterwards, when it was too late for me to do anything about it."

"And you had a habit of ignoring every single time I tried to bring it up before that." Adam retorted. "Takashi, I'm not trying to get back together, I just wanted to talk things out so, maybe we could be friends again."

Shiro sighed. "I don't know if we can be friends again. At least, not anytime soon."

"That's fair." Adam yielded. "I just wanted to let you know that no matter what happened between us, I still think you're a wonderful man. You just... have tunnel vision about the things you care about, and I didn't feel like I was very important to you. I wanted your attention, to feel like I was more important to you than your job. That wasn't fair to you, and I'm sorry."

Shiro nodded. "And... I'm sorry for never being there for you." He confessed. "I do hope you find someone who's better suited for you."

Adam smiled, glancing back toward the kitchen, locking eyes with Hunk. "I already have." He replied, looking back to Shiro. "And what about you? Have you found someone else?"

"I thought I did, now I'm not so sure." Shiro admitted. "I was talking to someone, and I thought we had something, then they just... vanished on me."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Adam sighed. "Well, I hope it works out for you. I truly do." He stood up, finishing off the last of his drink. "I'm going to head back for the night, but I'm glad we were able to have this chat."

Shiro didn't want to admit it, but he also felt a weight being lifted off of his chest. He just nodded as Adam offered him one last small smile and left the cafe without another word. Shiro waited a few minutes in silence, trying to process everything. Adam was already well on his way to make a new life for himself, while Shiro was still struggling to find his place. He was losing his touch with his photos, and he completely lost touch with Keith. 

Keith sat quietly, having heard most of the conversation from his hiding place. His heart was racing, and his stomach twisted with guilt. Shiro thought of him as someone special, and Keith had probably ruined it by cutting off ties with Shiro. He peeked over the counter, watching Shiro slowly make his way out, looking lost and defeated. Keith felt a surge of courage. He needed to take one last chance to save his relationship with Shiro. He pulled out his phone, looking at Shiro's contact, thankful he hadn't had the strength to delete it up to now. He took a deep breath, starting to type out a message. Shiro could ignore it. He could get mad at Keith for ghosting him. But doing nothing meant giving up entirely. He hit send.

_"Hey, Shiro. Sorry for not replying sooner. Can we meet up?"_


	7. Resolve

Shiro fixed his hair as he checked over himself in the mirror. At long last, his exhibition had finally arrived. Opening night was always stressful, surrounded by critics and buyers, all of them surveying him and his work. But their judgmental stares weren't the only thing Shiro was nervous about.

"Someone's looking sharp." Matt teased from the doorway. 

"Well, it is opening night, I thought I should look my best." Shiro explained, adjusting his jacket.

"Yeah. Sure. Because it's totally professional to not wear a tie and have the top two buttons of your shirt undone." Matt pointed out. "You're meeting that Keith kid tonight, aren't you?"

Shiro took a deep breath. "...Yep. He finally texted me back saying he wanted to meet face to face, so I invited him to the exhibition."

"Oh, so you could be all dressed up for him and he won't suspect a thing. Very smooth." Matt chuckled.

"I really think we've been friends for too long." Shiro joked. 

"You can't hide anything from me." Matt grinned. His face softened as he walked over, placing his hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Enjoy the night. You've worked hard for this." He instructed.

"Thanks, I will." Shiro nodded, walking out onto the galleria floor. It was still early evening, as the first guests of the night were trickling in. He glanced at the photos on the wall, the ones he had struggled to perfect, finally ready and waiting for everyone to see them. He checked his watch. Keith would be here any minute now. He felt his stomach flutter in nervous anticipation. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself out. He had been mentally preparing for this night for over a week. The door opened. He was ready. 

Keith slowly walked into the galleria, unsure of what to expect. He felt both under and over dressed in white t-shirt and his single-breasted suit jacket. It was the nicest look he could manage on short notice, as he constantly fidgeted with his buttons. He searched the room for Shiro, finally spotting him when Shiro waved him over from the other side of the room. Keith's heart skipped a beat, Shiro dressed to the nines with a black suit, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to keep him looking casual. Keith walked over, trying to keep his pace steady so he wouldn't look too eager. 

"Keith, it's so nice to finally get to meet you." Shiro said, offering out his hand. Keith felt his brain short-circuit. Shiro's voice was even nicer in person. 

"N-nice to finally meet you too." Keith replied, taking Shiro's hand and shaking it. Keith prayed his palms weren't sweaty. He turned, looking around the place. "So this is what a photography exhibition looks like... I've never been to one before." 

Shiro gave him a sly grin, taking two glasses of champagne from a nearby tray and handing one to Keith. "Shall I give you a special tour with the photographer?" He teased.

Keith felt the blood rush to his face. "Sure..." He agreed, taking the glass and following Shiro to a nearby photo.

"This I took the day I landed in Sydney." Shiro explained. Keith looked over the photo of a city skyline shining in the dark of night, reflected off the ocean beside it. "I was so jet-lagged I couldn't sleep, so I went outside and took some photos."

"It's incredible." Keith murmured in awe. "I knew you were good from the photos you sent me, but these are fantastic."

"Thanks." Shiro ran a hand through his hair, Keith catching sight of a slight blush on Shiro's face. "Shall we keep moving?" Keith nodded, following Shiro to the next photo, another city shot of an old, majestic building. "You know..." Shiro's voice trailed off. "I was worried a bit when you stopped replying to me."

Keith tensed up. He should have seen that one coming. "Yeah, sorry about that.... I had a lot of stuff on my mind." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But it's all fine now."

Shiro smiled. "I'm glad. I was actually going through some stuff myself. But I feel like I've finally decided what I want to do." Shiro turned to him, Keith's heart beginning to race. "Keith, there's something I want to tell you..."

Keith held his breath, feeling like he was about to float off the floor. "Yes, what is it Shi-"

"Mr. Shirogane!" A voice interjected from behind Keith, startling him. Keith turned, seeing a young man staring at Shiro, a bright smile on his face. Keith wondered where he'd seen him before. "Congrats on the exhibition!"

Shiro blinked at him a few times before recognizing him. "Oh, you're James, aren't you? The intern?" 

"Yeah, we've seen each other in passing but I don't think we've been formally introduced. I've always been a big fan of your work." James offered his hand out as Shiro shook it politely. 

"It's nice to see you again, James." Shiro greeted. James turned towards Keith, as Keith suddenly remembered where he had seen him before.

"You're the guy from the photography club!" Keith announced without thinking.

James paused, thinking back. "Oh yeah, you're the guy that Pidge brought with her a while back." He looked at Shiro, then back at Keith. "So this is why you were so interested in photography..."

Keith felt his blood start to boil. He could do without the attitude. Shiro gently put his hand on Keith's shoulder, as if to calm him down. "How do you like working here?" Shiro asked, changing the topic. "Is everyone treating you well?"

James turned his attention back to Shiro, flashing another professional smile. "Yes, it's been great! I've been learning a lot."

"I understand you've been working with my friend Matt pretty closely." Shiro nodded towards Matt, watching them from across the room. 

James looked at Matt, quickly turning back to Shiro, his face flush. "Yeah... you could say that."

Keith looked at Shiro confused, Shiro smiling mischievously at James. "A little piece of advice for you," Shiro leaned in to whisper something in James ear, something Keith wasn't able to make out. But James' face softened into a gentle smile as Shiro pulled away from him, James running his hand through his hair.

"Don't worry, I will." James promised.

"Good man. Now, I'm sure you have plenty of work to do, and I don't want to keep you from it." Shiro smiled, giving James a wink as he put his arm around Keith and led him away.

Keith looked up at Shiro, suspicious. "You're quite the playboy, aren't you?" 

"No, that was more me being a wing-man." Shiro explained. "...So you went to check out the photography club, huh?"

"Yeah, I don't think it was for me though." Keith explained. He noticed Shiro's playful grin. "It wasn't because of you, ok? I was just curious about it." 

"If you say so." Shiro chuckled. Keith felt himself smiling with him, all the anxiety he had felt fading away.

"Hey, Shiro?" Keith asked hesitantly. "What were you going to tell me, before James showed up?"

"Oh... yeah." Shiro paused. "Keith, I..."

"Excuse me, Mr. Shirogane!" Another voice called out. They turned, a photographer standing behind them. "A quick photo for the local paper?" 

Shiro sighed. "I'll tell you later tonight. Are you all right with photos?" He asked. Keith nodded, Shiro pulling him in close as the photographer got into place. "I've got to warn you, I'm not used to being on this end of the camera!" He joked. Keith took a deep breath, enjoying Shiro's warmth next to him as he heard the shutter click a few times. The photographer gave a thumbs up that he was done, quickly moving on to find another target. Shiro leaned in to Keith's ear. "I'm really glad you came to see me tonight." He whispered, sending pleasant chills down Keith's spine. 

The rest of the night felt like a dream, as Keith and Shiro wandered the galleria. Shiro would tell stories of his adventures, and Keith would share stories of his life here in town. Keith felt himself relax completely, as if being with Shiro was the most natural thing in the world. They laughed and joked as if they had always known each other, and although so many were vying for Shiro's attention, he never left Keith's side. Slowly the galleria cleared out, leaving only a few stragglers behind. Keith realized the night was coming to an end, his heart dropping, wishing it would just last a little while longer. Shiro noticed the change, lowering his voice as he looked deeply into Keith's eyes. "Hey Keith, do you want to get out of here and head back to my place?"

Keith thought his heart would burst. "Y-yeah." He nodded, Shiro smiling and offering him his hand. Keith took it, following him out of the galleria. The stars glittered above them as they walked through the moonlit park, the fun conversations from before replaced with quiet excitement. They reached Shiro's apartment building, Keith wondering if he was ready for what was ahead of him. He glanced at Shiro, looking a little flustered himself. Keith smiled, taking a deep breath. He was ready.

They reached Shiro's apartment, Shiro letting them in and turning on the lights as Keith glanced around. The room was a lot more barren than he had imagined, with empty walls and a few scarce pieces of furniture. Keith assumed that's just how it must look since Shiro spent so much time away from home. "You can have a seat if you'd like." Shiro offered. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Water's fine, thank you." Keith replied, slowly making his way to the sofa and taking a seat. So this was it. The moment he had been hoping for was coming true, though the excitement left him feeling awkward and jittery. 

"Here you go." Shiro handed Keith a glass of water, sitting down beside him. "Keith, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about tonight. I thought about telling you over the phone, but I felt it was something better said face to face."

"What is it, Shiro?" Keith asked, tightening his grip on his glass to keep his hands from shaking.

"We've been talking for quite a while now, and I feel like I've really gotten to know you these past few months." Shiro began. "And more than that, you've helped me find myself again when I was feeling lost, by believing in me when I couldn't believe in myself. I don't know how to thank you enough for that."

Keith felt his heart race in his ears. This could only be building up to one thing. He tried to keep himself from smiling.

"Keith, I've finally made a decision about what I want in life. And I wanted to tell you first."

Keith held his breath. This had to be the moment he was waiting for, it just had to be.

"Keith... I'm going to Asia."


	8. A Leap of Faith

"Keith... I'm going to Asia."

All of Keith's thoughts and hopes slammed into a hard stop. "...What?" Keith mumbled, barely able to muster up that single word.

"I'm going to Asia." Shiro announced again. "I was offered the chance to take a two year, in-depth tour of Asia, and I accepted it this evening. My flight leaves in two weeks."

"Oh... that's.... great." Keith stammered, struggling to maintain his grip on his drink.

"I wasn't sure if I was up to it or not, I was beginning to think I had lost my touch." Shiro explained, getting up from the couch. "I was ready to give up, on myself, on my career..." He turned back to Keith. "Then I met you. Seeing you try so hard reminded me of how hard I worked to get to where I am, and made me one to give it another shot. I wanted to thank you for that."

Keith sat in a stunned silence. "What... what about your friends and family here? And your apartment?" He asked. 'What about me?'

"I haven't got a lot of family around here." Shiro answered. "And I'm going to talk to the landlord tomorrow about ending my lease early. As for my friends, we can still text and call each other like we have been."

So Shiro had already thought everything through. Keith could feel his hands shaking. Everything was happening so fast, he couldn't process it all. "You're just going to leave? Just like that?" He mumbled.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity." Shiro explained. He noticed Keith's sullen expression, sitting back beside him, taking his hand. "Keith, this is my job. I know it's a lot to ask but I would like to keep our friendship going during this."

The warmth of Shiro's hand in his only made him more anxious. Keith handed his drink to Shiro. "I... I have to go." He announced, getting up to leave.

Shiro set the glass on the table, reaching for his keys. "Wait a second, I'll drive you home."

"No," Keith rejected, rushing to the door. "I just... want to be alone right now."

"Keith, wait. Let's talk about this-" Shiro pleaded, as Keith ignored him, fleeing from the apartment without another word. Keith dashed to the elevator, repeatedly pressing the button until the doors finally opened. He stepped inside, closing the doors behind him, trying to steady himself in the solitude of the small space. He felt his eyes begin to burn with tears, as he struggled for breath. It hit him all at once, the realization that Shiro would always be out of his reach. Either in someone else's arms, or halfway around the world. The elevator opened up on the ground floor, Keith storming outside and down the street. He reached the corner as he slowed to a stop. He turned back, glancing back to Shiro's building, up at the illuminated windows. His tears fell on their own now, as he steeled himself to turn away, continuing the long walk home.

Shiro watched Keith as he glanced up at his windows, his chest tight and a deep pit in his stomach. He knew that doing this would hurt Keith. But he couldn't let him end up like Adam, stuck waiting for him, all alone. Keith turned, making his way around the corner and out of sight. Shiro's legs gave out from under him as he clutched the curtains, feeling drained and defeated. T his had to be the right call. He had to remind himself of that, or he would just hurt Keith even more.

Keith had never been more grateful for finals week, as it kept his mind off of Shiro. Shiro texted him several times since Keith rushed out of his apartment, but Keith couldn't bring himself to answer. He just didn't see the point anymore. He had to focus on his studies or his mind will drift to countless "what ifs" that would never come to be. Until finally, the last day of the term arrived.

"On your way out of class today, come to the desk and collect your grades for your final project." Professor Sanda announced, laying her hand on a stack of papers on her desk. "If you have any questions please stop by my office after class."

Keith sighed, bracing himself for whatever grade he got. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

_ "Keith, my flight leaves tomorrow. Did you want to grab some drinks with me tonight?" _

Seeing Shiro's message stung. By this time tomorrow Shiro would be half a world away. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. He'd missed his chance and now he had to live with it. The class slowly filtered out, lining up to receive their scores. Keith felt a hand on his shoulder as he put his phone away.

"Hey man, Pidge and I are meeting Lance for drinks tonight, did you want to come along?" Hunk asked gently.

"Sure." Keith agreed, giving Hunk a small smile. With the semester over, he needed a new distraction. The one good thing about his situation is he only needed to do it for one more night.

"Awesome, we're meeting at Brewskie's at 5." Hunk explained, making his way to the front of the classroom, throwing Keith a triumphant thumbs-up as he saw his results. Keith took a deep breath as the last of his classmates cleared out, cautiously approaching his professor.

"Ah, what a coincidence. I was meaning to pull you aside anyway, Mr. Kogane." Sanda pointed out, picking up Keith's paper from the desk and reading it over, keeping it hidden from Keith's view.

"Is... something wrong?" Keith asked nervously, a sick feeling building in his stomach.

"Quite the contrary." Sanda explained, her eyes darting back up at him. "You actually got a perfect score."

"I... did?" Keith stammered, unsure of where this was leading.

"Yes, I was honestly a bit surprised myself." Sanda continued. "You have a knack for knowing what to focus on, keeping your readers interested in the story without straying from the facts."

"Um, thank you." Keith mumbled, still in shock.

"I wanted to ask you if you had an interest in going into journalism as a career." Sanda asked, handing Keith his results.

"I never really thought about it much." Keith answered.

"It's rare to see such natural skill in journalism, I think it's something you should look into." Sanda pulled a flyer from her desk, passing it to Keith. "I'm the head of the school newspaper, if you ever wanted to give it a shot, just let me know."

Keith looked over the flyer, an ad for the school paper, sliding it into his bag with his score. Something else for him to think about now, Keith made his way out of the classroom and into the hall.

Keith walked into the bar, glancing around for his friends. It was still early in the evening, but the bar was already getting crowded by the newly-freed students of the college, celebrating their successful completion of the semester. He spotted Hunk at a nearby booth, waving him over, Lance and Pidge already sipping on beers. Keith slid in beside them, gesturing for the waitress to bring him a beer as well.

"Ah, sweet freedom, thy name is summer break!" Pidge cheered.

"And we even got Mullet over here to finally join us." Lance joked. "That alone is something to celebrate!"

"I'm just glad I never have to take Sanda's class ever again..." Hunk groaned. "I heard she failed half her students. I was lucky to get off with an 80%."

"Yeah I'm fine writing computer code instead of newspaper articles." Pidge laughed. "How did you do on her final, Keith?"

"Oh yeah, you were the last one out, right?" Hunk recalled. "She didn't fail you, did she?"

"Um... I actually aced it." Keith confessed sheepishly. "She wants me to join the school paper."

"Keith, a journalist? That's something I didn't see coming." Pidge teased. "Are you going to get me pictures of Spiderman?" She laughed, doing her best movie impression.

"Well you were looking for something to do anyway." Hunk pointed out. "This sounds like just the thing you need."

"I'm not sure." Keith sighed. "I don't know if I'm cut out for journalism."

"You haven't even tried it yet." Lance scolded. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I just don't know, that's the problem." Keith replied.

"You know, I'm really getting sick of your attitude." Lance growled.

"Hey Lance-" Hunk warned.

"What the hell, Lance?" Keith argued. "What is your problem?"

"My problem, is you and how you always give up before actually trying anything." Lance spat back. "You always think things are going to go wrong and so you never go out and get what you want. It happened with Shiro, and now it's happening again with this. You got a golden opportunity and you're just going to flush it away because it might go bad."

Keith felt his blood start to boil. "Easy for you to say! You fail every single day. How many times have you asked out Allura just for her to keep saying no?"

"Well at least I'm trying!" Lance yelled, standing up. "At least I can go to sleep at night knowing I did everything I could to make it happen. You just sit there feeling sorry for yourself as life passes you by!"

Keith stood up to face Lance, refusing to back down. "What's the point in trying if everything's going to end the same anyway?" Keith argued. "I gave Shiro a chance and now he's flying halfway across the world! And you can keep sleeping by yourself at night because no matter how many times you try, Allura is never going to-"

Lance slammed Keith with a left hook, sending him barreling to the floor. The bar fell into a complete silence, the crowd now fixated on the two of them. "You know," Lance said. "One day life isn't going to keep handing you opportunities. You have to take all the ones you can, while you can." He took a deep breath. "That's why I gave Shiro your number in the first place."

Keith's face throbbed from where he'd been hit, but he looked up at Lance, shell-shocked by what he just said. "You... did what?"

"You always refused to leave your precious little bubble, so one night I was out drinking and Shiro came onto me, completely wasted, saying I looked like his ex, wanting my number. So I gave him yours because I wanted you to take a chance for once in your life. And now you've given up on that too." Lance explained.

"But... it's too late now. Shiro's leaving tomorrow." Keith replied quietly, feeling defeated.

"Well then you better make tonight count." Lance ordered. "Because the way I see it, you can give up and lose it for good, or give it one last shot and still have a chance at saving it. So," He paused. "What are you going to do?"

Keith sat on the floor, his emotions in a complete whirlwind. Even if he gave it one last shot, he didn't know what to do, or what to say. He might be too late. Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. "Hunk..." Keith muttered, rising to his feet.

"Um... yeah?" Hunk replied, still rattled from the fight he'd witnessed.

"I need you to drive me somewhere." Keith said, his voice now sure and steady.

"And... where would that be?" Hunk asked.

"To go see Shiro."


	9. A Pledge and A Promise

Keith nervously drummed his foot as Hunk made his way down the streets toward Shiro's apartment. "For the record," Hunk declared, "I still think this is crazy."

"Duly noted." Keith chuckled as Hunk pulled up to the curb in front of Shiro's apartment building. "Alright. I'm going in."

"Do you want me to wait here?" Hunk checked as Keith climbed out of the car.

"No, I'll be fine from here." Keith assured, stopping right before he closed the door behind him. "Make sure you tell Lance I'm gonna pay him back for that punch in the face."

“Will do.” Hunk gave Keith a thumbs-up. “Call me if you need me.”

“Thanks.” Keith nodded, shutting the door and rushing to the call box. His fingers shook as he hit the call button for Shiro’s apartment. He waited for a response, a few seconds passing by in silence. His heart was pounding, he hit the button one more time. He began to wonder what he’d do if Shiro wasn’t home. He felt his stomach drop as he realized the key flaw in his plan. Maybe he should have asked Hunk to wait until he was inside…

 _“Hello? Can I help you?”_ Shiro’s voice called out from the box.

Keith took a deep breath. “Shiro? It’s me. Keith. I need to talk to you.”

 _“K-keith? What are you doing here?”_ Shiro stammered.

“There’s something I need to tell you. It’s important.” Keith insisted. He waited a moment, as he heard the buzz of the door unlocking. Keith bolted inside, running up the stairs at full speed. He couldn’t bear to wait another second for an elevator. 

He finally reached Shiro’s floor, pounding on his door as he panted for air. Shiro opened the door, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and a concerned look on his face. “Keith? What is it? Is something wrong?” 

“No,” Keith grinned, doubling over as he tried to catch his breath. “I’ve never been better, actually.” 

“Do you, um, want some water?” Shiro asked, still confused.

“No, I wanted to tell you something.” Keith took a deep breath, standing back up, staring deep into Shiro’s eyes. “I finally figured out what I want to do. I want to become a journalist and travel alongside you.” 

“Keith? What are you talking about?” Shiro protested. “This isn’t just something you just leap into. You have to leave your friends, your family, at a moment’s notice…”

“Shiro.” Keith stopped him, stepping closer to Shiro, as they backed into his apartment. “I’ve spent all my life worried about the what-ifs, and never doing anything I wanted to do. But I’ve found something that I never want to let go. It’s you, Shiro.”

“Keith…” Shiro whispered.

“Shiro, I love you. And I think you love me too. I don’t want to give you up just because I’m scared. I want to become the person who can stand beside you.” He paused, running his hand across Shiro’s cheek. “Am I wrong? Am I the only one who wants this?”

Shiro nuzzled Keith’s hand. “No, you’re not.” He whispered. Keith smiled, pulling him in for a kiss. Shiro held him tight, enjoying the warm sense of comfort and excitement washing over him. He could feel his foundation wavering. They broke apart, Shiro pushing Keith away. "Keith, you don't understand. You deserve someone who'll be there for you, and I don't know if I can be that person. I don't want you to end up hurt and alone because of me."

"Shiro, I know you're scared. I am too. And it's not always going to be easy. But I promise to work hard to make it possible for us. Will you help me?" Keith asked.

Shiro's eyes were lined with tears. "...I will. If you'll have me."

"There's no one else in the world I want more." Keith agreed, pulling Shiro in for another kiss. Shiro ran his fingers through Keith's hair, the kiss turning deep as the spark of the kiss ignited something inside of them, Shiro pulled Keith into his bedroom, the only furniture remain just his mattress lying on the ground, the two tumbling over on it, unable to pry their hands off each other. Keith pulled off Shiro's shirt as Shiro kissed him yet again.

"Keith..." Shiro whispered, his breath ragged. "I don't think I can hold back."

Keith grinned. "Then don't." He replied, pulling Shiro in close.

Shiro nuzzled his head against Keith's chest, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. Keith's fingers played with Shiro's hair, feeling satisfied and content. "I wish we could stay like this forever." Shiro mumbled.

"Me too." Keith agreed, kissing the top of Shiro's head.

Shiro sat up to look in Keith's eyes. "Are you sure you're going to be okay when I'm gone? I mean... it's going to be two whole years."

Keith smiled. "We'll make it work. I need some time to build skills as a journalist anyway."

"I'm still going to miss you like mad." Shiro sighed.

"Well you're just going to have to remember to call me every chance you get." Keith teased.

"We'll have to FaceTime too," Shiro grinned. "I don't know how I'll go two years without seeing your face." He ran his finger across Keith's cheek. Keith winced as Shiro touched the bruise that had been forming on his face. "What happened here?"

"Let's just say I had some sense knocked into me." Keith laughed. "But it's alright now."

"Keith..." Shiro whispered. "I love you so much."

Keith kissed Shiro's cheek. "I love you too. Now, let's get some sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."

Shiro obeyed, laying his head back on Keith's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, silently swearing to never forget that sound while he was away. And as it lulled him into sleep, he wished tomorrow would never come.

But morning came regardless, the alarm on Shiro's phone waking the both of them. They silently prepared for the day, as Keith helped Shiro pack the last of his belongings. They would catch each other's glances, unable to find the words to say. They knew that every minute was pulling them closer to the time they had to separate. They finished the last of the preparations, Shiro taking Keith's hand. "Keith... I..."

A knock came from the door, startling the both of them. Shiro went to answer it, Keith following behind. The door opened to reveal Matt, checking his phone as Shiro let him inside. "Are you all packed Shiro? Ready to go?" Matt asked, looking up to see Keith standing in the foyer. "Oh... um... hello." 

"Matt, this is Keith." Shiro introduced. "He was... helping me pack."

"Nice to meet you." Keith nodded.

"Same to you." Matt replied, grabbing Shiro and pulling him close to whisper into his ear "You're going to tell me everything later."

"I don't know," Shiro teased. "I'm not the kind to kiss and tell."

"Cheapskate." Matt chuckled, letting go of Shiro. "Now, let's grab your bags. You've got a flight to catch."

Keith helped carry Shiro's luggage as they loaded it into the back of Matt's car. Matt started the engine as Shiro tossed the last of his bags in the back seat. "One second, Matt." He instructed, turning back to Keith, pulling him in for one last kiss. "I wish I didn't have to go."

"I know, but by the time you come back, I'll be ready to join you on whatever adventures lay ahead." Keith promised. "Do you think you can wait for me?"

Shiro smirked. "I'm usually the one asking someone to do the waiting, but I'll try my best."

Shiro stepped back, slipping out from Keith's touch as he climbed into Matt's car. Keith watched the two of them pull away, spotting Shiro looking back at him as he gave a farewell wave. Keith felt his chest tighten as they turned the corner, out of his view. He took a deep breath. It was just two years, after all.

-TWO YEARS LATER-

Keith walked through the galleria, the photos all set in place for the exhibition. He glanced at them all, photos of Tokyo's skyline, the Russian countryside, and Indian marketplace... All of them drawing him in, as if he was actually there. He could still remember the phone calls from each leg of Shiro's trip, staying up late to make up for the time difference, buying a webcam to be able to see each other better, and now, all of their patience was paying off right before his eyes. He reached the end of the galleria, the final piece sitting proudly in the light. Keith sighed, feeling two arms wrap around his waist from behind him.

"Do you like it?" Shiro whispered.

"You didn't even take it in Asia." Keith countered.

"I know, but it's my favorite one." Shiro replied happily, planting a kiss on Keith's cheek. Keith smiled, looking at the photo of him, curled up in their bed, the caption shining boldly below the print.

_"It's Good to be Back"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the epilogue! Thank you all so much for reading!


	10. Epilogue

-FOUR YEARS LATER-

"Babe, we're gonna be late." Keith called out, knocking on the bathroom door in their hotel room.

"Just one more minute." Shiro answered, wiping off the last bits of shaving cream from his face before opening the door.

"Please explain to me how the man who's going to spend the entire day _behind_ the camera needs to spend so long getting ready?" Keith teased.

"It's important to look professional so it's easier for me to blend in." Shiro explained, putting on his tie, struggling with the knot. 

"Here, let me." Keith instructed, stepping in to fix his tie. "I wish I could get a few photos of you today. It's so rare to see you in a suit."

"Well I guess we'll just have to have our own private photo shoot afterwards." Shiro whispered, sliding his hand around Keith's waist.

"Easy there, tiger." Keith laughed, taking a step back. "I don't want to be hot and bothered at the ceremony. Lance would never let me live it down."

"Fine, I'll save it for later then." Shiro yielded as Keith grabbed his wallet and the ring box.

"Don't get too crazy, we still have that flight to London on Sunday." Keith warned.

"I think we should go on a vacation soon." Shiro groaned, putting on his shoes. "I feel like all we ever do is work."

"We can talk about it later tonight. Ready to go?" Keith checked. Shiro grabbed his bag.

"All set. Let's go."

The small church was completely decked out in blue and white flowers and sashes, Lance and Allura's friends and family filling the pews. Keith glanced over to Shiro, readying his camera for the event. Just a few more minutes now. Keith turned to Lance, frozen in place with a sickly nervous expression on his face.

"You alright there, man?" Keith asked.

"Um. Well. I. Uh." Lance stammered. "I just... can't believe this is really happening."

"A little late for that, Lance." Keith laughed. "It's going to be fine."

"I'm just worried I'm going to forget what I'm supposed to say, or something's going to go wrong, like the rings go missing..." Lance paused. "Quick, do you still have the rings?"

Keith pulled the box from his pocket. "Yes, I still have the rings. And it's fine, all you have to do is repeat after the officiant. No big deal."

"What if Allura changes her mind? What if she doesn't want to get married?" Lance continued to babble.

"She's not going to change her mind." Keith assured. "You're just getting pre-wedding jitters. Just relax, everything is going to be fine."

"Are you sure?" Lance asked.

"Dead certain. So just take a deep breath, and calm down." Keith insisted. Lance nodded, taking a moment to steady himself out. The wedding coordinator signaled to the pianist to begin the music, Lance immediately stiffening up again.

The doors opened for Allura, standing in a full length, mermaid-cut white gown, her veil adorned with small blue flowers. Keith could hear the familiar sound of Shiro's camera shudder mixed in with the music, as Allura slowly approached the altar. He glanced over at Lance, mouth open wide in awe. Keith gave him a small nudge for him to compose himself, as Allura took her place opposite Lance. Seeing Allura and Lance's faces almost glowing in happiness brought a small smile to Keith's face, as he shot a quick peek back at Shiro, now fully engrossed in his job. Even after all these years he still loved that serious, focused expression on Shiro's face while he's working. Shiro caught Keith's glance, a small smirk appearing on his face. Keith turned back to the altar, trying to focus on his duties as Lance's best man as the ceremony officially begun.

The crowd filtered into the church event hall for the reception, settling into their seats for the catered dinner. Shiro quickly snapped photos of the happy couple, still happily focused on each other. The meal was served, the room filled with a pleasant roar of conversation. Keith's attention flickered between conversations with Lance and the rest of the wedding party, the quiet anxiety over his upcoming speech, and glances at Shiro, still making his rounds around the room to get plenty of photos of the guests. As the dinner plates had almost all been collected, the MC took to the microphone.

"Everyone, we are pleased to present Keith Kogane, the best man, to give his well-wishes to the bride and groom." Everyone slowly quieted down, the MC signalling to Keith to speak. Keith took a deep breath, rising to his feet.

Keith cleared his throat, as the MC handed him the mic. "Lance, we've been friends ever since high school. And I have to admit, there were a lot of times I thought you were a pain in the ass." Keith paused, the crowd chuckling, Lance grinning mischievously. "But it's been an honor and a privilege to be your friend. You refuse to give up, you push everyone around you to be better, and sometimes you really know how to knock some sense into someone." Lance's face softened, Keith giving a small smile. "I owe you more than I could possibly say, and I can think of no one better suited for you than Allura. She's a beautiful, fantastic woman, and I know that you'll have a long and happy life together." He paused, lifting up his glass for a toast. "To the bride and groom, and to their future together!" 

The crowd cheered in agreement, raising their glasses in unison. The MC retrieved the mic as Lance stood up to hug Keith. "Thank for that, man." He whispered.

"I meant every word." Keith assured. The MC turned back to the crowd.

"Alright everyone, we're going to be doing the bouquet toss now, so can we please get all the single ladies to the dance floor?" He instructed. Allura stood up, making her way behind Keith to the dance floor.

Keith gently grabbed her arm, holding her back a moment. "You remember the plan, right?" He whispered.

Allura gave him a wink and a thumb's up. "Don't worry, I've got you covered."

"What are you two whispering about?" Lance asked, Allura quickly heading to her place for the toss, Keith stepping out from behind the table as well. He watched the crowd gather as Shiro stood with his camera behind them, ready to catch the traditional throw on film. Allura looked back over the crowd, making a mental note of where Shiro was standing, flashing a small grin to Keith. 

"We'll throw on the count of three. And one," The MC began, Allura readying herself. "Two... three!"

Allura swung the flowers back with a mighty toss, Shiro fervently snapping as many photos as possible. It had flown higher than what he was expecting. He continued to follow it with his lens, determined to catch the fateful catch. Yet, it was beginning to come dangerously close... and getting closer. Shiro realized what was going to happen, lowering his camera just in time for the flowers to smash into his face. He frantically gripped them, the crowd laughing at the scene.

"You okay, babe?" Keith asked, rushing to his side.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Shiro chuckled, as Keith pulled a few loose petals that had gotten lodged into Shiro's hair.

"Looks like you're the next one to get hitched, Shiro!" Lance called out.

The crowd laughed again, Shiro grinning as he turned back to Keith. Keith gave him a soft smile, dropping down on one knee, and Shiro felt his heart stop. "Takashi, I know this probably isn't the best time, but I wanted to do this when all of our friends could be here with us." Keith began, reaching into his pocket to pull out a ring. "We've been all over the world together, and everyday with you is an adventure. You continue to inspire me, and I can think of nothing else I want more in the entire world than to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you with every fiber of my being. So, Takashi Shirogane.... will you marry me?"

Shiro could barely contain the rush of euphoria that washed over him, tears filling his eyes. He nodded sharply. "Of course I will." Keith burst into a blissful smile, a few happy tears sliding down his cheeks as well as he took Shiro's hand to slide the ring on. The crowd erupted into boisterous applause as Keith and Shiro kissed. Keith held Shiro close, enjoying one of what was sure to be many perfect moments to come. And he wondered if there had ever been a case of wrong number that had ended feeling so right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Keith and Shiro's love story! However, you will be able to spot them in other works in this series, so I invite you to read the next section of this AU, Mixed Signals, a Matt and James love story!


End file.
